Monday, July 6, 2015

My Favorite Gear

My Ultimate Direction Hydration Vest
and my Desoto skin cooler shirt

Welcome to Triathlon…Now you're broke! In the world of swimming, biking and running there is so much gear that one can waste hard earned cash on, and believe me I have spent a lot of money on stuff that sits in my garage and I don't use!. I am going to share with you some of the gear I use on a regular basis that has served me well and gear that I couldn't live without.

TYR Split Fins

Swimming - There are three things I love to use in the pool. They include:

TYR Paddles

Standard pool buoyTYR large paddlesTYR split fins

I have tried many different fins and I keep returning to my good old TYR split fins. I like the split fins because they don't tire your legs like some other fins. When you swim, bike and run you don't necessarily want to kill your legs in the pool. The split fin is great to use when doing drills but because of the split it does not over work your legs. I love swimming with paddles and a buoy. If you are not a strong swimmer or have shoulder injuries you should not use the large paddles but I personally love them. As for googles, its a mixed bag. Try as many as you can to find the perfect fit for your face. I would also recommend having a few in your swim bag as back up as well as a clear lens pair for indoor swimming and a tinted pair for outdoors.

I like the speed sleev because its easy to use, out of the way and contains all the essential items for the dread flat. The clever design makes it a compact item. I like the Speed Fill aero drink system because its comfortable between my arms (hence the BTA). I can use any water bottle with the system and it can be easily refilled at aid stations when racing. The power meter by Stages is a great power meter and less expensive than most other power meters. Training with power will take your training to another level and give you a more accurate idea of how hard you are working . It is much more accurate compared to heart rate which can be impacted by heat, overtraining, and illness. The Giro Air Attack helmet is comfortable for everyday training as well as racing. It has great aerodynamic qualities and looks like a conventional bike helmet.

Lulu Running Shorts

Running:

Lululemon running shortsUltimate direction hydration vest

I love the Lululemon running shorts called speed shorts. They fit me perfect, are very comfortable and have a small pocket in the back for a key or gel. The ultimate direction vest is great and has room for a bladder in the back and two bottles up front. I use the vest that you can use smaller or larger bottles with. It has a few small pockets which are great for gels. This vest is great for very long runs and most popular with ultra runners because if you use the bottles they are easy to refill.

Some things I use for one or more of the sports include:

Hydro Flask

Garmin 910 - this is easy to use, keeps track of all my training data, syncs with my power meter easily, using the accessories such as the quick release I can easily take it off my bike and transition to the run with it.IPODRoad ID - good to have in case of an accident. Fortunately I have not ever had to use this but I wear it when I ride and run and it has all my emergency contact informaiton.Hands free dog leash - any will do but I prefer to run with my dogs using one of these so my arms are free. Speedo gear bag/back pack - this bag is large and has a space for wet stuff and two separate areas inside the main area. It has several large pockets on the outside. Desoto Skin Cooler long sleeve top is great to use in hot weather. It also protects me from the sun. Having very light skin makes me very sensitive to the sun so this shirt is really great for long rides and runs. It also has pockets that during a race you can fill with ice to help you keep cool. Way hot yoga mat - I like this mat for Bikram because it is a towel and mat in one. It is very absorbent and is the best mat I have used in hot yoga.Hydro Flask is the best bottle to carry water. I started using this in an effort to use less plastic. It keeps liquids cold or hot all day long. In fact it will even keep your water cold while you do an extra long swim by the pool when its 110 degrees outside.